The day had felt longer than it should have, especially since it wasn’t even over yet. It was strange to Ginny to be back at school and away from the real news of what was going on in the world. Having two parents and several siblings in the Order of the Phoenix meant that knew the latest details of the battle between good and evil before the Prophet reported them, if they actually decided to report the truth for once. It was hard to get accurate news nowadays since all the post was being searched at the Ministry, and the Prophet generally had no idea what was really going on. So she would have to wait.

Ginny left the entrance hall just as the last class of the day was starting. She probably should have been spending her time doing her Transfiguration essay that McGonagall assigned to them after lunch, but it wasn’t due for a couple of days yet. She had a free period now before dinner, and she decided that the time would be best spent outdoors walking the grounds or maybe even relaxing under a tree by the lake. There were a few other groups of students around the grounds, those lucky ones who, like her, didn’t have a class this period. It was the first day of classes and the weather acted like it was still the middle of summer so she couldn’t blame them all for wanting to be outside.

She followed the path that lead away from the entrance hall, not really caring just now where she ended up. The sun felt warmer than it should for September, and the sky was dotted with fluffy, white clouds. It almost seemed like something out of a storybook. Several students waved to her as she walked down the path towards the lake, and Ginny waved back with a smile. Some of them she knew well from her classes, but some were strangers to her. It wasn’t the first time that people she didn’t even know made an effort to try to befriend her; it had happened a couple of times last year when she had been going out with Harry. It seemed that everyone want to know more about him, but she wasn’t the type to spread rumors, at least not any that were true.

When she got to the lake she found a large maple tree whose branches cast a pleasant shade long enough for her to lie down in. Her arms crossed behind her head, she gazed up through the tree branches for a bit, watching the clouds go by. She could probably fall asleep there very easily, but she didn’t want to miss dinner either. Maybe she would just close her eyes for a minute or two…

Harry had been outside, trying to stay out of sight from everyone. Seeing Ginny he had felt a pang of loneliness for himself yet it had passed quickly. He ran a hand through his hair as he watched Gin. It wasn't like he had wanted to break up with her. It was that he needed to. For her safety as well as that of the rest of the Weasley's. Of course, the lot of them were in enough trouble already with Voldemort, but Harry's stubbornness still refused to see that.

Watching as she laid down he stood from his spot in the grass and started to walk towards her. He hoped he wouldn't scare her as he neared. He shot looks that could kill at students who either a) couldn't take their eyes off him, or b) couldn't take their eyes off her. He got a little closer, seeing her eyes closed he shook his head. Typical Ginny.

"You know, sleeping outside might not seem as good of an idea once you wake up stiff. Mind if I sit?

She registered the sound of footsteps on the grass as someone approached her, but she didn’t want to open her eyes just yet. Part of her hoped that the footsteps belonged to someone who was simply walking by, instead of someone who wanted to stay and chat. But she recognized the voice before the first word was out of his mouth, and she had to work to keep her eyes from flying open.

“Well I doubt that will be a problem if certain people stop by and wake me up.” She opened her eyes and looked up at him with a typical smirk to go with the light sarcasm of her joking comment. At least she could still joke with him, even if she did feel a hint of sadness simply looking up into his eyes. As much as she didn’t want to admit it even to herself, she missed spending time with him.

“You may sit wherever you like; last I checked this was still a free country, though who knows…Voldemort might change that soon.” Her breathe caught as she said the name, as she still wasn’t used to saying it out loud, but she refused to hide behind his many nicknames any more. She was trying to be nice but was finding it difficult after all that had happened between them. Honestly she wanted things to go back the way they were last year, but she knew that wasn’t going to happen so easily. There were so many things that she wanted to say to him just now, but she kept silent, also cautious on how to proceed. He was the one who had approached her, so he could start the conversation if he wanted to.

Harry had let out a small chuckle at her sarcastic answer but that was it. It was there and then gone basically as soon as it started. It was like it was never there. He avoided her eyes as he sat and picked at the blades of grass on the ground. He came over because in all actuality, he was in need of some company. Of course, Ginny wouldn't know what it was like, nor would Hermione, Ron would just get upset and jealous due to the publicity, yet being the 'Chosen One' as he was called was quite annoying to be truthful.

He couldn't muster a smile at the moment; he tried, the result was a weak grin. He pushed his glasses up his nose as he continued to pick at the grass. 'What do you say Potter? I was just wanting some company, hope you're okay with the company being-' He stopped his thought there, that sounded stupid. He decided he'd just try to start it off easily.

"How are you?"

'Stupid Potter!' He thought as soon as he had said it. Too late though, it was already out and he had to be ready for whatever answer was to come. He hoped they wouldn't fight. He hoped Ginny was finally understanding where he was coming from with his reasoning behind the break up.

As short as the laugh was, it was nice to hear. Laughter was something that they could all use more of these days, even if it was forced. Ginny couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed and actually meant it. Of course her twin brothers’ joke shop certainly helped.

She couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows at his question; it seemed out of place somehow. Like the question was far too simple for as complicated as life had become since the Dark Lord’s return. It almost made her want to laugh at loud because of how crazy it sounded just then. But she settled with a small smile, though it lasted about as long as Harry’s laugh had.

“I’m fine. And yourself?” She wanted to tell him that she understood his reasons for breaking up with her, that she knew he was just trying to do the right thing, that maybe she really was better off without him while Voldemort was still alive. But she also wanted to tell him that knowing didn’t exactly make it hurt any less. Ginny had spent half of her life waiting for him, so she supposed she could wait a little bit longer. She only hoped it would be too long of a wait.

“So how was your summer?” Might as well continue with the awkward line of questions. She’d heard a bit about the mission that Harry and Dumbledore were on, at least enough to know that there was a mission. Ginny also knew that he couldn’t, or maybe wouldn’t, talk about it, but she wasn’t asking about that specifically. Basically, she just wanted to know how he was, really.

He gave a shrug. That was Harry, completely unsure about a lot of things right now, himself included. He tore a blade of grass from the ground and started to blow towards it, making it whistle through the air. He was completely bored. He wanted everything done with, but then again, didn't everyone?

"I'm alright I think."

That was all he really could say, 'You think, come on. She's going to know you're lying now.' He turned his focus to the next question of interest from her. His summer involved Order business, Harry couldn't tell her about that stuff, her parents would probably kill him. Nor did he actually want to talk about it. They weren't exactly pretty things. Besides, the last thing he needed was for her to start worying about his well-being even when he was out with Dumbledore and start fretting over whether he was okay at the moment.

"It was rather long. Yours?"

He couldn't say how weird this was. This was the first actual conversation the two had had since the breakup. He still hadn't looked into her eyes. This was something he wasn't actually content with, yet he wasn't comfortable with looking to her eyes either.

“Liar.” Though she called him out on it, she didn’t push the subject. How could he be ‘alright’ after spending the summer off with Dumbledore, fighting with the Order? How could he be ‘alright’ knowing that the most powerful dark wizard of all time had wanted him dead since his birth and was still trying? Knowing Harry as she did, Ginny was pretty sure that Harry wanted Voldemort dead just as badly. Who didn’t want the Dark Lord dead and gone? But she felt, from the very few times that he had actually talked to her about it last year, that Harry wanted to be the one to do it, the one to kill Voldemort where many had failed before. She certainly wasn’t ‘alright,’ and all she got to do was sit back and wait to hear who had come back from the missions and who hadn’t.

“Look, can’t we just get this awkwardness over with?” She finally sat up and sat cross legged, now facing him. He had always been taller than her, but she was kind of glad for that at this moment. Her gaze remained down at the grass anyway, knowing that it would be easier this way. “I mean, my summer was spent locked in at Aunt Muriel’s since my parents thought I would be safer there. All I did was sit around and wait for news of who’d died and who hadn’t. Maybe it was a stupid question to ask.”

Ginny was quiet for a moment, reserved, almost as if she had said more than she meant to. It wasn’t something that she would admit to just about anyone, but she guessed that he would be one of the few that would actually understand what it was like.

“I mean, we can still just be friends, right?” That was all that could ask for right now. He’d explained everything at the end of last term, and she knew she could deal with it; she had to. But she figured that it would sure be a lot easier if at least they were friends. She finally turned her face up towards his, not exactly looking him in the eye, but not avoiding it either.

Harry had finally lost the struggle within himself to avoid eye contact, turning and staring into her eyes. It was a hard stare, Harry fought for the eyes to at least not show emotion, of course, a little of his missing her showed but that was it. He nodded at her first comment about him lying. She was too good for that.

"Yeah, I guess we both asked stupid questions. I'm sorry you were stuck at your Aunt's, I know what it's like to be stuck somewhere you don't want to be, try eleven years of it. But they were right. You were probably safer there."

He half expected her to fight back at that comment but that would happen if and when she said something. He turned his attention to their next question. Oh how Harry wanted to be more than just friends, knowing they couldn't just hurt more. He nodded.

"Gin, if I didn't want to be at least friends, I wouldn't have came over here to talk to you. I would've gone to look for Hermione or someone."

She sighed and shook her head at his response. Of course he would be the one to understand, but only a part of it. Instead of him spending his time worrying about her, it was the other way around, all summer long. And she couldn’t even do anything about it. No one would let her join the Order underage, though she’d volunteered more than one time. She wasn’t even sure if her parents would let her once she did turn seventeen, being the only girl in the family and all. But if things were still as bad as they are now by the time she became of age, then they would have to fight to keep her away.

“Safer? You think I care how safe I was when the rest of my family and half of my friends were the ones doing all of the fighting?” She kept her voice down partially so that no one else would be able to hear and partially so that it didn’t seem as though she were snapping at him. Ginny glanced around the tree under which they were sitting, though there wasn’t anyone close enough to overhear them. Besides all of the other students who were outside seemed to be enjoying themselves in the dying summer sun, running about, swimming in the lake, and playing games. She was amazed that anyone could feel so carefree in times such as these.

“Well then just what exactly would you care to talk about?” He hadn’t exactly made it clear why he had come over here in the first place, aside from asking stupid questions, though she hadn’t really helped in that area either. She turned her eyes back to his green ones as a small ripple of hope filled her, and she smiled again in hope that it would lighten the mood if only a little. She didn’t care what he wanted to talk to her about, whether it was sill or incredibly serious. If he had sought her out to talk, she would be there to listen, no matter how much she hoped that he would want to do more than just shoot the breeze.

Harry shrugged to her second question. He hadn't had anything to really make clear, he didn't know what he wanted to talk about. He just wanted to talk to Ginny. He didn't think it was such a sin to make sure she didn't want to wring him by his neck.

"It doesn't matter if you cared how safe you were, of course you weren't content, once again. I know the feeling. I haven't got anything in particular to talk about. I just want to talk about something, anything. I don't even care what. I just wanted someone to talk to, you were nearest."

He did give a yawn and afterwards he mustered a weak smile for her. He missed this, he missed her. He couldn't help it. He put his arms on his and looked out at the lake.